Interactive map reveals life expectancy based on region

It’s probably something you’ve thought about at one point: how long will you live for?

Now, an interactive tool can answer your question by using life expectancy data for your local area in the UK.

Using Government statistics, the map tells users how long they can expect to live for, depending on where they live – and how long over 65s statistically have left.

However, Glaswegian men should look away. They have the shortest life expectancy across the home nations at 73.4 years old – if they were born tomorrow.

And men living in the rich-suburbs of Kensington and Chelsea are now expected to live nearly a decade longer, with data showing they reach 83.7 on average.

The results point to a stark divide between rich and poor areas, with the latter being widely known as one of the wealthiest regions of the UK.

It’s believed the differences in life expectancies could be to do with the Londoners earning more on average to afford private healthcare and gym memberships.

Camden topped the charts for women. Female residents of the London borough can expect to live until they are 86.4, the Office for National Statistics data reveals.

At the other end of the scale, West Dunbartonshire – north-west of Glasgow – had the gloomiest news for women, with their life expectancy being 78.8 if born tomorrow.

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GENDER LIFE EXPECTANCY GAP IS NARROWING, DATA REVEALS

The span of time that women can expect to live in good health has diminished over the past few years, the official analysis said.

It said girls born in recent months can expect to enjoy 63.7 years of their lives in full health without sickness or disability – a period 1.7 months less than for those born around 2010.

The ONS calculations appear to mark a watershed in the nation’s health, suggesting the quality of life for half the population has stopped improving.

Healthy life expectancy was first estimated by the ONS for girls born between 2009 and 2011.

Girls born between 2014 and 2016 are now considered to be likely to have 1.7 months less before illness or physical limitation start to restrict their lifestyles.

Boys born in the same years, however, have seen their estimated time in good health improve by 4.3 months to 63.1 years.

The tool also shows how life expectancy has changed for each region over the years compared to that of the UK, which is continually improving.

On average, girls can expect to live until they are 85.8, while the same data suggests men will reach 82.3.

The figures are based on projections for children who were born between 2014 and 2016.

It is an increase on ONS figures released in September that said girls can expect to live until they are 82.9 years old and boys 79.2.

REVEALED: THE BEST, AND WORST, AREAS TO LIVE IN THE UK IN 2016

MEN:

LOWEST LIFE EXPECTANCY

Glasgow City: 73.4

Blackpool: 74.2

Dundee City: 74.5

West Dunbartonshire: 74.7

North Lanarkshire: 75.4

Manchester: 75.5

Middlesbrough: 75.8

North Ayrshire 75.9

Belfast: 76

Corby: 76.1

HIGHEST LIFE EXPECTANCY

Kensington & Chelsea: 83.7

East Dorset: 82.9

Chiltern: 82.7

Harrow: 82.5

Hart: 82.5

Westminster: 82.4

Richmond upon Thames: 82.3

Vale of White Horse: 82.3

Elmbridge: 82.3

Wycombe: 82.2

WOMEN:

LOWEST LIFE EXPECTANCY

West Dunbartonshire: 78.8

Glasgow City: 78.9

Manchester: 79.4

Blackpool: 79.5

Dundee City: 79.6

Middlesbrough: 79.6

North Lanarkshire: 79.6

East Ayrshire: 79.8

Inverclyde: 80.1

Renfrewshire: 80.2

HIGHEST LIFE EXPECTANCY

Camden: 86.8

Kensington & Chelsea: 86.4

Hart: 86.3

Westminster: 86

Chiltern: 86

Harrow: 85.9

Richmond upon Thames: 85.9

Elmbridge: 85.6

East Dorset: 86.6

South Oxfordshire: 85.5

Between 2001 and 2003, the same set of statistics revealed newborn boys had a life expectancy of 75.9 and girls 80.5.

At the time, experts called for an urgent examination into life expectancy amid fears it had ‘ground to a halt’ because of the UK’s ‘miserly’ spending.

However, the ONS suggested the slowdown could be down to a realisation of efforts to improve life span, such as cutting down smoking.

The interactive map was released as part of the ONS report which revealed that the gender healthy life expectancy gap is slowly narrowing.

For years, women have remained lightyears ahead of their male counterparts in terms of how many years they will live for in good health.

But the new statistics show their total months of good health has decreased by 1.7 months in recent years, while it has jumped by 4.3 months for men.

Chris White, principal research officer at the ONS, highlighted how improvements in life expectancy have slowed since 2010.

He said: ‘This analysis supports the view that mortality improvements in the UK have slowed somewhat in the second decade of the 21st century.

‘This is evidenced by the rate of improvement in life expectancy at birth in the UK falling by 75.3 per cent for males and 82.7 per cent for females when comparing the first half of the second decade with the first half of the first decade.’